May 24, 2010

Finale watch: Let's talk 'Chuck'

I need to apologize in advance if this is my least coherent "Chuck" review ever. I got about two hours of sleep last night due to all the "Lost" finale festivities, and I'm not even sure what year it is or whether I'm dead or alive. Sorry if this is a bit of a mishmash, but here goes…

I'm not trying to dis the second hour of two-hour Season 3 "Chuck" finale, but for my money, the first half of the finale, "Chuck Versus the Subway" was one of the finest hours the show has ever done. It was absolutely, 110 percent terrific. The season-ender as a whole was generally very enjoyable, but in the first half, "Chuck" really brought its A-plus-game.

The show has tried to execute some big moves over the course of the third season, and as we've discussed in the past, not all the shifts and turns worked, or at least they didn't work in the ways the writers intended them to.

But in "Subway," the show established the classic "rag-tag team against an overwhelming adversary" scenario. It was brilliant. I loved seeing the scrappy Team Bartowski come together and, with emotional stakes that are as high as they've ever been, begin to take on the evil Team Shaw/Ring. There are many reasons this format works, so much so that it's the core plot of the original "Star Wars" films (and too many other classic movies to mention).

General Beckman even gets to pull a Princess Leia and tell representatives of Team Bartowski that "you're our only hope." We had Morgan and Casey supplying the comic relief a la R2-D2 and C-3PO, and Shaw as an evil Sith Lord. Add all that scrappy-heroism stuff to a crackling plot, stir in loony side plots like Jeffster! hanging out with a drunken, brokenhearted Captain Awesome and basically you have "Chuck" at its best -- humor + heart + action + inspired silliness.

Speaking of Shaw, every time that guy appeared since he allegedly "died" in Paris, my reaction has been, "Won't that guy ever truly die?" But the Season 3 finale mostly defused the bomb that is Shaw, mainly because it used him as a clear-cut adversary. Season 3's most acute failure was trying to shoehorn Sarah and Shaw into an incongruous, forced romantic subplot. It was sloppy and though he didn't light up the place in general, in those scenes Shaw came off as creepy and weird.

But in the finale, when he described his villainous plan and added a deadpan, "Moowahaha," I laughed. Damn it all, but Shaw made me laugh (the Dark Side is strong in this one).

Somehow the show found a way to make this character sort of work, for the finale anyway. He was grimly delighted to destroy Chuck and all his friends and family, and as a straight-up villain, Shaw more or less worked. But please, God, someone encase this man in carbonite. I really think the show needs to stop going to the Shaw place forever, unless the episode(s) are as good or better than what we saw Monday night.

Shaw may have been functional, and that's all I can really ask, but almost every other pairing and character was in top form. Casey and Morgan continue to be comedy gold, and Morgan and Awesome are also awesome. How about Joshua Gomez becoming the show's secret weapon? The more you give this guy to do, the more he does it with earnest, hilarious gusto.

Yet in both hours, Adam Baldwin once again proved why he's the lynchpin of the show, dramatically and comedically. Once again, we got the delightfully expressive grunts (I loved him with the weaselly Ring guy in the diner, barely suppressing his murderous rage). With a few looks, he conveyed Casey's love for his daughter. And not only did we get prime Casey-Morgan comedy, but Casey's car even played the hero and got Awesome and Morgan out of a tight spot. Casey and his car just rule.

On a structural level, I dug the idea that the Ring had infiltrated the CIA itself and wasn't just dinking around with their usual dastardly (yet strangely unimpressive) plots or trying once again to figure out what the deal was with that guy at the Buy More. And on an emotional level, seeing Chuck with his dad again -- and seeing Papa Bartowski die -- made the stakes very high indeed.

All in all, "Versus the Subway" was like "Versus the Colonel" in Season 2, in that it expertly built up both the tension and the emotional stakes for everyone involved, and it was also as funny as all get out.

If "Versus the Ring Part 2" was a little more weakly plotted, well, it's harder to resolve these big stories than it is to set them up. Last year's season finale had all the delirious frivolity of the wedding as well as that crazy Jeffster! performance and Casey and his team parachuting in from the skylight. I mean, the last two episodes of Season 2 were just bananas in so many wonderful ways. Season 3's two-hour wrap up was darker in some ways, but certainly strong overall. If I nitpick a few things below, I nitpick with love.

The team got into the conveniently timed spy convention far too easily, and all in all, I wish the idea of Chuck being disabled by his flashes had been introduced more gradually over the last third of the season. He was able to fight, and then suddenly he wasn't, and it all just seemed a bit too sudden.

But my biggest problem with the finale had to do with Ellie, whose main role as a character has been to say "No" to Chuck for three seasons. No, he shouldn't be working at the Buy More, because that makes him a loser. No, he shouldn't be doing this or befriending that person. No, he shouldn't be a spy any more because he's all she has left. And so on and so on.

First, it's annoying that the show has rarely found anything more complex for the talented Sarah Lancaster to do that scold, correct, nag and otherwise cast aspersions on Chuck's aspirations, his friends and his activities. It's just tiresome. Secondly, in the last few episodes, she's been called upon to do things that didn't make her seem all that smart. Sure, the weaselly CIA handler actually did work for the CIA. But why not check out this guy's bona fides somehow? Why believe everything he said? And how did she lose the prisoner transport on a road with no other cars? Things like that just induce eye rolls.

Alan Sepinwall points out, correctly, that Ellie got some fierce moments in the finale in which she was very protective of her family and made sure that Chuck got rescued -- I loved that Lancaster got to play those different notes, trust me. And I hope we see more of that kind of variety in Season 4.

But here's the thing that bugged me most: Whether or not you think she had a right to ask Chuck to quit his job, well, shouldn't that be a conversation? If my sister walked up to me and told me to quit my job, I'd try to politely tell her that I'm an adult, and if she has concerns about my life I'll certainly listen to them, but she is not the boss of me.

My husband accepted that Chuck would just acquiesce to her wishes given what had transpired with Papa Bartowski, but I'm not so sure. The second half of the season has done a lot to help us understand why being a spy is so important to Chuck. It's who he is. And suddenly Chuck's OK with just exiting the spy life? And Sarah is too (what, she has no will of her own again? Yeesh)? I just think that adults would talk about these things; I think the Chuck we've seen in Season 3 would not just give in. But maybe that's just me.

In any case, if the twist with dear old mom was relatively easy to see coming, and between that and the Orion vault, "Chuck" has set up some cool stuff for Season 4. But alas, the Buy More is no more. Much as I hate to say it, because I totally love the Buy More crew, this makes sense. A fourth season set at the Buy More would not be credible, even for this show, where credibility gets stretched a lot.

I do hope we meet the Jeffster! boys as they pursue life on the lam, and it'd be great to see Big Mike again too. If not, we'll always have that crazy video to recall Jeffster by (and I certainly hope it's available in full on the NBC site soon).

What are your thoughts about this season finale? How does it stack up against previous seasons? And where do you think the show will go in Season 4, aside from the obvious Search for Mama Bartowski? And be sure to check out Sepinwall's interview with co-creator Chris Fedak.

Comments

I really liked the finale. I don't know if it was intentional, I like to think it was: Right before Chuck viewed his dad's final message (before he pressed enter), he said "Oh boy," which could be a great tribute to Scott Bakula's Quantum Leap character. Anyway, well overall I thought it was a great season ending.

I really hope that NBC continues to believe in Chuck. I really love this show. Oh by the way love the fact Chuck accidentally downloaded the first intersect. "Sorry just had to reboot" ... LOVED IT!!!!

Vs. The Subway is easily on par with my favorite episodes of CHUCK (Colonel, Tic Tac, Honeymooners), if not better. Ring 2 has problems, though mine are not the same as Mo's. My biggest issue with either of the episodes is when they put Yvonne in what I call the clown-makeup lipstick. I have no clue who in makeup thinks that dark red color on her compliments her... because it doesn't. FOR THE LIFE OF EVERYTHING HOLY, STAY AWAY FROM THE CLOWN-MAKEUP LIPSTICK!

I loved both parts. However, I was so upset when Papa B. got killed that it took a few minutes to get back into the story, so I'll have to watch again. I don't agree with your criticisms of the second hour at all. I think Chuck was so devastated by his father's death that he didn't want to inflict this pain on Ellie again if he should die. That's why he agreed so readily to give up the spy life: not merely because she asked but because he saw her point. The second hour had some great, great comedy, too, especially from Morgan, so excited to have a gun in his hands and confronting the bad guys with that cheesy line from "Cobra," and then valiantly breaking his thumbs to get to the fire alarm only to have it set off by someone else immediately before he got there. Then, of course, there was that image of Shaw flying out the window in front of the American flag, a great Superman allusion. Overall, a great two hours. Even better than last year's finale.

Mo, you're absolutely right about the Ellie issue. I thought they were finally giving Sarah Lancaster the right material to erase some of the horrific stuff they've done to Ellie this past season, but then she asked her brother to quit. QUIT?!? I mean, the action was tremendously rushed during the two hours, but wouldn't you WANT your brother to continue in his quest? Why didn't the writers have Chuck fighting as hard to keep his job with Ellie as he fought to keep it when Sarah wanted him to run? Another false S3 moment in an otherwise good episode, and I guess it provided Chuck a good cover to step into his (deceased?) father's shoes. (No, you cannot convince me Bakula's out of the game, even with the blood -- Shaw bled too, remember?)

That said, with a virtually new writing team in place for next season, I sincerely hope they return a lot more logic and heart to the show that's more reminiscent of some of the best moments of S1 and 2. I think Zach Levi saved the show this season, and I think his material could have been stronger as well.

I loved this finale, I'm almost angry that I have to wait to see what happens. Chucks dad dieing was so heart wrenching! I agree, Chuck just agreeing with Ellie like that was odd, he didn't even leave to be with Sarah!

Of course, when General Beckman said,"You're our only hope." I wasn't sure if I wanted to cheer or roll my eyes...very subtle guys...

i found the 2nd half of episode 18 the best part. shaw got caught out too easily, a hidden camera linked to the convention room? pretty cliched. im not a writer but surely if they thought harder, shaw getting caught could've been better. and the elders? lol they looked about as sinister as 5 random people from an old people's home! they should've had a little more importance. i agree with the guy that says chuck should stop being a spy and become orion. from the sidelines protect the country because there are rogue spies in all branches of the government?

Wow I love Chuck, and this finale just brought not only this show to a whole new level, but television itself...Amazing twists and turns, sad to see Chuck's father killed, but that emotion/comedy/action is what keeps this show alive. I can't wait for season 4! Hope to see all the same characters back again. By the way, was it just me or was anyone else expecting Rachael (from earlier in the season) to have a larger role overall in the show? Maybe we'll find out in Season 4, anyways fantastic finale, Chuck forever!

what is with season finales this year trying to make me squirt out a few tears!?! i mean come on! I have to say that now that Lost is off of the air, Chuck is my go-to hour drama/action/comedy show. When it is clicking on all cylinders it is tough to beat. Chuck's dad biting the bullet was tough to take, but then they throw the first scene of Casey in the pie shop and the realization that he's been going there and socializing and learning about his daughter all along?? aww, big guy!

i do agree that the way they tied things up in the end was a little too easy (after 1 episode, Casey's daughter is now part of the group? Same goes for Ellie). Seems like some of those plot lines could have been dragged out a few more episodes to feel more meaningful, but since they spent most of this season on the Lee/Kara/Anders... I mean Chuck/Sarah/Shaw triangle that they didn't really get to touch on those other more interesting areas.

I do have to say, Mo, that mayhap you should have waited this post out a bit... I know how much you love Chuck and reading this post later it may seem like you were kind of harsh on the whole gang. get some sleep!!

btw, am I the only one who thought the most tear-jerking "awakening" scene on last night's Lost was the Claire/Charlie/Kate scene?? everyone's talking about the Sawyer/Juliet scene, which was great, but I mean, I had three friends over who are guys, and my wife sitting there all watching and I really, i mean REALLY, had to hold myself back there!!

This is by far the best 2 hours of my life i have spent i cant believe it.
The best season finale ever love the twist in the end when they show that Chucks mom is alive and imply that she is also a spy, cant wait to see the next season.

i think chucks dad will be fine that the cellular regeneration chamber was right down stairs and shaw is the kind of character who would save him to use his intelligence for his own gain. But i cant wait to see all the stuff orion has down there like that gauntlet from season 2 that can hack any system remember this is the guy the created the intersect !! The best part was when chuck rebooted

I thought it was a great finale. The finales this year have nearly all been EXTREMELY sub-par. After Bones finale, and the controversial (over-hyped drivel) Lost finale, I was really feeling the finale blues. I was hoping that the Smallville finale wouldn't be my only bright spot. Chuck saved me.

While the road was full of p(l)otholes along the way, I have to admit, those guys can really do a finale. Season 1 finale was good, Season 2 finale was awesome, and I would put the Season 3 finale right up there with it. I do agree, however, that some aspects of 2 and 3 finales fell short, but all in all, fantastic. The only thing better about Season 2 finale was the build up (and Chevy Chase).

The only things I would complain about for Season 3 finale was the fact that the build up fell short. Not enough Casey family. Not enough Ellie development. A lot of what your concerns were. I do want to note that Fedak even voiced his concerns about how the episodes played out that affected the end product. I would agree whole-heartedly.

If they would have known about the back 6, he would have tightened the first 13 to about 8 or 9 which would have worked perfectly. Less "good guy" Shaw and more "bad guy" Shaw. Remove completely worthless episodes like Mask and Fake Name. Shorten the PLI's and work on The Ring plot more. Many things could have been done in the first 17 episodes that would have made the last two hours MUCH more manageable.

I loved the season finale as well but....well, a lot of buts.. The last 2 episodes pretty made the rest of S3 quite pointless, ether that or it was just plain poor story telling. Why is Sarah all of a sudden concern about chuck running away when she was willing to do it in pink slip and honeymooners? Team B taking down fulcrum and capturing the director of the ring doesn't deserve any merit? I was under the impression that they were the best of the best but apperantly not as far as the CIA are concerned. Ellie? I dont get it. She doesn't know by now that her dad left to keep them safe? If she does then how is making Chuck a civilian going to make them even more safe. Chuck leaving Sarah to protect her. Did he not know that Shaw would eventually use them to lure him back and therefore him leaving her alone instead of taking her was a waste of a goodbye scene. I have more but I will stop because I don't want to forget how much I love this show. Sorry for the rant and I hope my ESL class paid off. Be nice

Fun episode, but much like the rest of the season, not up to the quality of the previous 2 seasons. Poor production values and sloppy writing are qualities that have been all to ever present this season, and unfortunately were still there tonight. I'm hopeful, but not terribly optimistic, that things will improve next year. I'll still be watching (because the cast is just so much fun) but I suspect I won't be eagerly anticipating each episode like I did the first two seasons.

I must admit earlier today I was getting a little sad that this show might end for good, but it looks like there is going to be another season! I love this show!!

People can go about breaking down every detail about the storyline and its actors, but for what it's worth, I think everyone has done a fantastic job to produce a wonderful show that always has me coming back for more. As long as Chuck keeps its awesome cast and comedy/action, I will be there watching.

Ah one of the best season finales, after watching lost "Series Finale" which was utterly disappointing, Chuck put me back into tv perspective.
I do agree with a few of your guys comments, but remember we have to give Ellie a break, although she wanted chuck to always grow up etc this and that back in season 1&2 , since season three though, the things Ellie went through which was basically a spike of whole giant mess, finding this out, thinking Devon might die, and so fourth, She's that character who needs stability, and also wants to protect Chuck always thinking of him as a little brother, and remembering what her father told her when she was a child.

Im disappointed with Chuck and Sarah, in season 3, first they throw sarah at shaw, but still with feelings for chuck, then all these feelings are gone when chuck supposedly kills a guy... Really chuck changed that much?? (didnt know she had a problem with guys who kill guys, but wait doesn't shaw kill people lol, that made me laff. (I guess in her character mind "Its ok if i or Kc kills although its the right thing, but if Chuck kills someone, hes evil)

Now focusing on Chuck, I feel knowing now what season 4 is bringing, if he is really going to be stepping into his farther's shoes, "Doing what other Spy's, or governments aren't willing to do" they should have matured chuck in the sense, "killing is necessary" unless in season four they plan for chuck to basically use KC and Sarah for all the dirty work.. (will chuck fire a missile when it needs to be fired?)

Is it me, or do you wish that when chuck walked back into the buymore, and literally both him and shaw were putting down there guns, I think at that moment he should have shot shaw. Things are necessary, revenge is a necessary thing.

Who knows maybe we might see Chuck evolve in the sense of killing. because killing will be necessary in his fathers work.

And i wonder which one of those organizations, his mother works for, this will be interesting.

Also in regards to chuck's father, fazillion, that would be feasible, that basically his father isn't dead, and shaw possible put him in that tank to use him for the ring, cause the ring never wanted to kill him just capture him. That would be a good mid season thing, or maybe at the end of Season four, we would see his dad fully healed and the tank opening lol, then have to wait for a season five how that turns out

Also it felt to me, that these "Greater enemies" then just the ring, were possibly hiring the ring to do their dirty work, maybe one of these enemies hired the ring basically to go after chuck's dad initially because of who he is, but the ring decided on their own to change their plans, and try to get domination their own way and failed.

Ah and the final the great moments and comedy moments, just when kc and grimes were forming a bond, they introduce kc's daughter into the mix, and put grimes, hahaha many many future moments to come.

I was originally disappointed when Ellie found out that Chuck is a spy.

But when there were strong indication that Chuck is going to become Orion, my faith has been restored again. Hopefully next season brings another big secrets Chuck has to keep from everyone. I really hate to see Ellie as a typical "I am worried about you" kind of character.

Ellie is Chuck's reminder of his old life before his spy life. My opinion: I want Ellie out of the loop as much as possible.

Also, I saw the Starwars allusion... although I didn't get to see as far as Casey and Morgan playing the roles of C3P0 and R2D2.

Of all the episodes this season this was by far the worst. The suspense was fabricated worse than the BOP for the Deep Horizon. Too many angles too little time. Not enough ads. I was hoping for an ad to interrupt the timing like a child entering his parents bedroom in flagrante. There were no laughs. Just a poorly written and directed script to tie together the Big Bang theory and Revelations.

Disappointing to say the least. Some great moments to be sure--but very uneven. Nothing like last year. It's ridiculous to write Chuck as having now dropped his dream of being a real spy, going back on his vow to Sarah to stay in the spy life with her. The season was consumed with Chuck's goal of being a real spy. It felt forced and inconsistent to have him want to be a regular guy again. Plus what about the C/S spy couple we were supposed to be rooting for? We got 4 episodes ot them and now Chuck is no longer a spy? Those were the best episodes this season. It was fun having Ellie find out and the Chuck/Dad moments were great as well, but nothing felt epic or even surprising except that we have to switch gears yet again and believe Chuck is no longer wanting to be a spy. They need to make up their minds and stick with it. Shaw needs to never been seen again either. The worst character and worst arc in TV that I can remember in a long time. How much more Sarah/Shaw call backs are we supposed to stomach? For me, it was just eh. Next season they really truly need to make more of an effort to be consistent show to show. It's like different writers write each episode and don't watch the ones that came before. The characters start to lose appeal when they change on a dime each episode. We can't lose ourselves in the story when it makes no sense.

I thought the finale would have Chuck pulling his head up from a keyboard, wiping the dried drool from the side of his face and muttering to himself "am I dead? Was it a dream? That last Subway sandwich did me in?! Glad I was able to help so many other dead souls get resolution.:"

I really hated the finale to Lost in case the above is to circumspect and/or obtuse.

planes86, your comment about the "Oh Boy" is correct, I'm sure. One of the wonderful things about this show has always been its homages to previous tv shows. I also believe Ms. Ryan is absolutely correct in comparing this episode to Star Wars. It's a good insight and makes sense--both in the roles the characters played, as Ms. Ryan said, and from the standpoint of the show itself, which is after all about nerds ruling.

Now that LOST is gone, this is my favorite show. It doesn't have the writing quality LOST did, but the goofiness and heart and action together give it an entertainment value that LOST rarely had. They shows are completely different, but both rely on the strength of their characters. At this point both the female roles are underwritten, so I hope they do more for those two wonderful actresses. We've been discussing this in the Bring Back Anna Wu thread on the Chuck Facebook site.

With both LOST and Law and Order off the air, Chuck has the chance to be the new "smart" and complex tv show. The two female leads need more complexity, as does the relationship between Chuck and Sarah. While the relationship between Casey and Morgan is hilarious, for it to continue to work, Morgan has to begin to establish some bona fides of his own, or Casey won't respect him enough to make their continued association believable. There has to be some connection between our heroes and Jeffster, because without the Buy More (which had oulasted its usefulness to the show's story anyway), there's no current connection.

And the writers should make a pact: No more Lazarus storylines. There are enough dangers in the world of Chuck and Sarah (both as spies and as a spy couple) without having to use facile solutions.

Having said that: Thanks to everyone on the show, from the producers and directors to the writers and actors and crew, for an incredibly entertaining show. It's been a staple of tv to have an action show with a legitimate love relationship at its heart, but it's been a long time since we've had one. The charm of the relationship between Chuck and Sarah and the action and suspense of the spy stories combine to make for a rich show. With a new lease on life, the show has the chance to establish itself among the best of all time.

For those who have been dismayed by the uneven quality of writing this season: Remember, NBC had initially said the run of the show would only be through, if I remember, March...then they brought it back to last night. And until last week, it was still up in the air as to whether the show would be re-upped for next season. So the whole thing about Ellie telling Chuck he had to leave probably had at its genesis the idea that this wouldn't just be the season-ender, but the series-ender. They probably shoe-horned in the Orion ending because it's coming back next season (only Chuck in that scene).

Anyway, the whole Ellie telling Chuck to get out is not, in my opinion, at all hard to accept, since Ellie's main mission in life is to protect and prevent--she's a nurse and an older sister, given the job of protecting Chuck by her own father.

Yes, Greg, we're all well aware of the 13/9 episode order issue that Chuck dealt with this season. That doesn't change the fact that the writing suffered. And guess what...Chuck is facing the exact same issue this coming season. NBC has ordered 13 episodes with a potential "back end" (Mo can probably help me with the proper industry lingo here) order of 9 episodes.

How dare they put the finale of Chuck up against Jack Bauer on 24! I was mad as hell having to choose between them. But I did catch some of Chuck in the Versus the Subway & it was AWESOME DUDE!! Can't wait for next season . . .

Loved the season finale. Agree with previous comments on Ellie. It makes sense that she wants to protect her family and that it seems to her that the only way for her to protect her last living family member is for Chuck to give up the spy life. But....I think Chuck, rather than do a lengthy conversation, said "yes" if only to get closer to getting the bad guys.
Heck, he could be lying to himself, too.
Casey kicks butt, so it only makes sense that his daughter would, too. Nice stuff.
Sad to see Papa Bartowski check out. Kinda wish they'd handled it differently. I had a sneaking suspicion he'd die, but that suspicion was confirmed right when Papa and Ellie talked. She wanted to know why he left, he said "We'll talk later." Come on. How often do you see an important guest star go out like that? Couldn't he have shown a little frustration, even though he wanted to protect her? When asked why he left, why couldn't he say what he told Chuck? It's dangerous, don't you get it?
Still, good finale, definitely left me wanting more.

Fair points about the recent episodes and the roles for Sarah and Ellie. They need to do more and I hope that's an area the writers will exploit next year. Lots of potential in that. Even so, what a two hour finish...despite tearing our hearts out when they killed off Papa Bartowski.

No show gives you a fresher, more surprise-filled viewing experience than this one. Few shows have more appealing casts. Thanks to NBC for keeping this great show going.

Last season, I didn't think Chuck had much of a chance. I didn't like the finale. This season proved me wrong. I enjoyed Chuck immensely. And, the finale was great.

Who will be the new villain now that the Ring is destroyed? Mike and Jeffster will return somehow. Old Man Bartowski dead? Maybe. Of course Chuck will not quit spying. I think Ellie will join in on her own spy adventures. Old Lady Bartowski? Could get interesting. The General? I always thought that she might be the "real" villain. Maybe she can go rogue.

Maybe Ellie was upset and wanted him to quit because she JUST SAW HER FATHER SHOT and was worried about Chuck so cut them some slack people! And Sarah was upset when she thought he killed that guy because he's not 100 perecnt spy and THAT part isn't really a part of him and that's why she loves him because he would never be 'fully' a spy in that sense. I loved the 'oh boy' great homage Scott probably suggested it and Zachary does have those same aw shucks qualities Scott had on 'Quantum Leap'. Good show overall glad I got into it on 'Lost' WAY overrated could care less.

I love Chuck! I can't even begin to tell you how many ways... I think what they are able to do with an increasingly small cast and budget for a spy/action dramedy is pretty amazing. I'm thrilled it will be back for a fourth season!

And, this is such a small thing, but I loved seeing Awesome being less than awesome. It cracked me up when he realized Morgan was serious because he called him Devon.

No one commented on Dad Bartowski's watch being broken when he fell? I am the only one that caught that. Don't you think that the intersect would kick in and show him how to survive a bullet wound? Shaw survived a bullet wound he gave himself. So Dad Bartowski isn't dead, and don't you think that Ellie being older had been tested for the intersect already before Charles? She's older; she's been a spy way before hand. That's why she wanted Charles out of it. She wanted one family member that wasn't part of that 'spy' life.

General Beckman - "You're our only hope!" Awesome to Morgan - "Is she talking about you or me?" Ha-that one had me laughing out loud. Margaret Colin of Independence Day and Gossip Girl (Blair's mom) would be a good choice to play Chuck/Ellie's mom. Overall, I found this finale to be great fun and intriguing enough to keep me tuning in for Season 4. Too bad Lost's series finale couldn't have been this good.

I'm going to stick up for Elle too -- Sure, her "main role as a character has been to say "No" to Chuck for three seasons", but I actually think the show needs someone who is not going to go all "woah, cool" when Chuck's secret eventually comes out -- because it isn't all cool. It destroyed her family -- and has just killed the father she just reconnected with. It seems like every man she cares for (her brother, her father, her husband) lies to her.

And while she may say "no" to Chuck a lot, Ellie is always going to be Chuck's Kryptonite because (pardon my French) she's never been bitchy or controlling about it. She actually cares about Chuck; it makes her sad that (from her point of view) he's standing still in his life. She'll support him, but she sure doesn't have to pretend she likes it.

I think this was an awesome finale. On the decision Chuck made to not become a spy: I think Chuck might have been considering it, at least on an unconscious level, after his dad died and before Ellie ever said anything. I also think that lying to her was more than he could deal with right then. On a related note, I hope Chuck tells Ellie about his Dad's activities next season. It may give her a chance to do something other than nag and worry :)

OK, I loved the finale. But I’m here to talk about Subway. I really appreciate them sticking by this show and being a big part of keeping it on the air. I really do. And I normally don’t mind the product placement. It’s usually integrated into the show reasonably well and even if a bit clumsy, I figure that it’s ok, because Chuck’s always struggled a bit and Subway deserves their moneys worth. But holy cow, that scene with Big Mike at the beginning of the second hour was a bit much. I have to give kudos to Mark Christopher Lawrence for selling that scene as well as it could have possibly been sold, but still, way to beat us over the head with it Subway. I’m honestly eating as many $5 dollar foot longs as I can. I’ll check you out for breakfast, I really will. But maybe you could lighten up just a little? And this is coming from someone who’s worked in the ad industry for over 5 years now, so I’m not some anti-ad, anti-capitalist type. Just someone who appreciates an effort, even if a miniscule one, at subtlety.

Having said that, I totally agree with Mo that I'd love to see Ellie (and Sarah Lancaster) given some really juicy active rather than re-active plot lines next season. After all, how can she trust ANYONE after finding out that her whole awesome life (pun intended) has been based on one lie after another, and everyone she loves was in on it. They might all have had the very best of intentions, but IMO Ellie needs (and deserves) respect more than protection.

I agree with you for the most part and the observations about Ellie were well articulated. Those things about Ellie's character bothered me too, but I couldn't even articulated as well as you did. She'd been annoying in the past, but you got past it because she's just trying to protect her brother/family. It was a bit annoying that she just blindly believed what the CIA/Ring agent was telling her without any confirming any information.

I think Season 4 should be really good, but my wife and I are uncertain how Ellie & Devon will fit into the new season and the new direction the show is going. The Morgan/Casey stuff is brilliant. Absolutely great and they should keep them together. Sarah and Chuck as the front/face team, Morgan and Casey as logistics and firepower, that's your team.

I did notice something in the credits. Clare Carey was listed. Now I know that in the previous episode she played Casey's girlfriend/Alex's mother, but unless I missed something, she did not appear in the finale. Cut scene perhaps?

Wouldn't it be FANTASTIC if they got Lena Olin aka Irina Derevko from Alias to play Chuck & Ellie's mom?! How awesome would that be?

As a lot of people have already said on this comment post, as Morgan would say, "While I agree in principle..." that Chuck quitting Spy Life should have been a conversation not a demand from his sister, they did just watch their father get gunned down in cold blood. It's credible to believe that there was probably a lot of guilt and emotion running through them at that point and quitting the life that got your father killed was probably a likely outcome.

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